Brush.



PATEN'TED MAY 26, 1903.

A. STEELE. BRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED 00121, 1902.

no MODEL.

WITNESSES V UNITED STATES Patented May 26, 1903.

ALFRED STEELE, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

BRUSH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,515, dated May 26,1903.

I Application filed October 21,1902. 'Serial No. 128,119. (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED STEELE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing, at Denver, in' the county of Arapahoe and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brushes;and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had totheaccompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in brushes; and it consists of abrush having a perforated back,with which is connected a receptacleadapted to hold a quantity of liquid,

the said receptacle being movably connected with the back of the brushand spring-supported, whereby a valve normally closes an opening in thereceptacle to prevent the liquid from escaping, the arrangement beingsuch that as the bristle portion of the brush is applied to the surfaceor the part to be cleaned and the necessary pressure applied the valvewill be opened, allowing the liquid.

to escape to the back proper of the brush, whence it passes through theperforations in said back to the bristle portion or scrubbingface of thebrush.

My improved device is more especially intended for cleaningprinting-type by theme of gasolene. It must be understood, however, thatit may be used in other relations and that any desired liquid may beemployed.

The invention will now be described in detail, reference being made tothe accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodimentthereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved brush,the receptacle connected with its back being partly broken away. Fig. 2is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 a cross-section, of the device.Fig. 4:

is a sectional detail viewof a perforated plate attached to the back ofthe brush.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

'Let the numeral 5 designate the brushback, and 6 the bristle portion,the bristles being set into the back in the usual or any suitablemanner. The back of the brush is provided with perforations 7. To thisback is attached a plate 8, having openings 9 registering with theopenings? of the brush-back. The upper surfaceof the plate slopesdownwardly from a central point 10,and from this point lead grooves 12to the various perforations 9. The outer edges of the plate 8 are turnedupwardly, forming a sort of liquid-receptacle to prevent the liquid fromspreading over the back of the brush beyond the plate. The sides of thebrush are provided with grooves 13, adapted to receive the lower edgesof the side walls of the receptacle 13, the said edges being bentinwardly into the said grooves to hold the receptacle in place. Thegrooves are of sufficient depth to permit a limited downward movement ofthe receptacle when sufficient force or downward pressure is applied.The receptacle is held normally at its upward limit of movement by twobowshaped leaf-springsle, whose upper central portions areattached tothe bottom 13 of the receptacle. The extremities of these springsloosely engage the upper surface of the back of the brush and slidefreely thereon when the receptacle is pressed downwardly. The walls ofthe receptacle 13 project below the bottom 13 and close the space on theoutside between' the upper surface of the, back of the brush and thebOt't0111 13 of the receptacle. The springs 14: and the perforated plate8 are located in this space.

In the central part of the bottom 13 is formed an opening 13, normallyclosed by a valve 15, attached to the free extremity of a leaf-spring16, whose opposite extremity is made fast to the upper surface of thebottom 13. The valve 15 is cone-shaped, and it occupiesa positiondirectly above the point 10 of the perforated plate 8. The top of thereceptacle 13 is provided with a filling-nozzle 17, closed by ascrew-cap 18.

Before using the device the screw-cap is removed and the receptacle isfilled with liquid, as gasolene. The screw-cap is then placed inposition and the device is ready for use. The bristles are then appliedto the device or surface to be cleaned, as type, and as the ordinarydownward pressure or force is applied by the hand of the user thereceptacle is moved downwardly on the back of the brush until the lowerextremity of the valve 15 is brought into contact with the point 10 ofthe perforated plate 8, with the result that the valve is forcedupwardly a short distance. allowing the liquid to flow through theopening 13 to the plate 8. The liquid then follows the channels orgrooves 12 of the plate to the perforations 9 and passes thence throughthese perforations and the openings 7 in the back of the brush to thebristles o. In this manner theliquid is automatically fed from thereceptacle to the bristles as long as the brush is in use. As soon asthe pressure ceases to act the receptacle returns to its normal positionand the valve closes, cutting off the flow of liquid.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A brushcomprising a back, a bristle portion attached to the back, the backhaving perforations and provided with grooves in its opposite sides, areceptacle attached to the back of the brush and vertically movabletherein, the said receptacle having inwardlyturned edges adapted toengage the groove, the latter being of sufficient depth to allow thereceptacle a limited vertical movement on the bruslrback, a springlocated between the bottom of the receptacle and the back of the brushand normally holding the receptacle at its upward limit of movement, thebottom of the receptacle having an opening, a springheld valve normallyclosing said opening, and a device located between the back of the brushand the bottom of the receptacle and adapted to open the valve as thereceptacle is forced downwardly a limited distance,

2. In a brush, the combination with a back and bristles attachedthereto, the back being perforated, of a liquid-containing reservoirattached to the back of the brush and vertically movable thereon,leaf-springs interposed between the back of the brush and the bottom ofthe receptacle, a spring-held valve normally closing an opening in thebottom of the receptacle, and means interposed between the bottom of thereceptacle and the back of the brush for opening the valve as pressureis applied, said means comprising a perforated plate located between thebottom of the receptacle and the back of the brush, the perforations ofthe plate registering with the perforations in the back of the brush,and the center of the plate terminating in a projection adapted to openthe valve in the bottom of the receptacle as the latter is forceddownwardly. I

3. Ina brush, the combination with a perforated back, of aspring-supported, liquid-containing receptacle attached to the back ofthe brush and vertically movable thereon, the bottom of the receptaclehaving an opening communicating with a space between the bottom of thereceptacle and the back of the brush, a spring-held valve normallyclosing said opening, and a perforated plate located between the bottomof the receptacle and the back of the brush, the perforations of theplate registering with the perforations in the back of the brush, andthe center of the plate terminating in a projection adapted to open thevalve in the bottom of the receptacle as the latter is forceddownwardly, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a brush having a perforated back, of areceptacle having an opening in its bottom and walls projecting belowthe bottom, the said walls on two sides being turned inwardly, thebrush-back on the said sides being grooved to receive the saidinwardly-turned edges of the receptacle-walls, the grooves being ofsuflicient depth to allow the receptacle to move downwardly whenpressure is applied, bow-shaped springs attached to the bottom of thereceptacle and engaging the back of the brush, a spring-held valvenormally closing the opening in the bottom of the receptacle, andsuitable means interposed between the bottom of the receptacle and theback of the brush for opening the "alve as the receptacle is moveddownwardly.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED STEELE.

Vitnesses A. J. OBRIEN, DENA NELSON.

